Spokey

This, and dont stress about saving the aerie for its next schedule!. I would only consider gear down on a hard surface and even then a prepared one at that, like a dirt runway or quiet country road. The road scenario does bring in other dangers like telephone wires etc.

I had the Tractionator Adventure on the front of my bike for just around 400kms. I cannot get on with that tyre. Rock solid in the corners (especially on tar) but I I hate the way it tips in, dirt or tar. I tried various pressure settings, I typically like running the tyre soft , 1.6 to 1.7 bar, but I tried right up to 2.2. Anyways, it is for sale............back to Pirelli MT21 for me. On the various forums the guys swear by the Motoz. I find them heavy and stiff as a board, however, that desert one looks worth trying.

The little KLR enjoyed a lekker rondloop to Swartburg Pass from Hoekwil.

In the last century, when I as flying the piston singles, we as intructors referred to the Tomahawk as a “Traumahawk”.

I honesty have no idea what the exams are like now. But the FAA, my gosh, a work up for the flight test but easy exams. Sadly I do not know much of the SA system anymore

Back in the day when I used to instruct, we did spin training in C150 and C172 aircraft. It was normally very scary for a student and was indeed for me when learning to fly. But after doing a great deal of spins it became an easy thing to recover from and in fact good fun. These days (as far as I am aware) PPLs are taught to recover at the first sign of a wing drop, the incipient spin. Obviously this all means squat if there is structural failure. Your recovery above is good, but add a check forward on th column to help unstall the aerie. We would hold the yoke back with the throttle off and aim for a very high nose attitude. As the machine stalled and dropped a wing, kick the rudder in that direction, keeping the yoke full back. An exciting experience follows!

Tis really horrible, but if indeed the wing seperated then the resulting spin would give no one a chance to escape. Terrible if it did happen at 4000m, over 12000ft altitude. Would take a chunk of time to hit the ground..........nasty. Recently a survey C210 had a wing separation in Oz with the loss of the crew members. This at low level. Must be so aweful to be so helpless as the pilot.

Over 7 600 000 lbs of thrust from Stage one at lift off! (Thanks Wiki!!) I have not seen the full size remaining Saturn V’s, just bits and pieces of engines etc in various museums. This thing is absolutely mind blowing in its scale. A dream is a visit to KSC. It must have been the biggest adrenaline rush at launch yet I think terrifying.

That is a very beautiful rifle.

That would be at the same time totally awesome and scary..............what a rush!

Sorry for the delay, have been busy flying for the Eid holidays. On that video there are some good landings in the conditions, really not all that hard, though that first one from Atlas would rattle the fillings! In strong cross wind conditions or gusty winds, on all the aeroplanes I have flown, large and small, we deliberately fly to the runway with as short a flare as possible. Gets trickey as you dont want an “arrival” like that Atlass Jumbo, but you cannot afford to float above the runway. You need to get it down, get the wheels spinning up so that the ground spoilers deploy and dump the lift to get max weight onto the wheels for the braking. A stiff crosswind landing will always feel uncomfortable for passengers in aircraft that crab in and kick straight at the last moment. Cross control of aileron and rudder can produce a very nice landing onto the into wind wheel first and then the downwind mainwheel before lowering the nose wheel for the braking. But not an option on all types. For instance not a good idea on our Global as the chance of a wingtip strike is very high. That will devalue the aeroplane by sevearal million USD, cost several hundred thou to repair and also be very career limiting! Hope that gives some insight.

Fine day of racing yesterday, though I wonder what happened to Brad Binder ther in Moto 3. Fighting in the top 6 and suddenly into the second group. Hampered buy the crashes perhaps? Petrucci, a fantastic win. Moto GP was awesome, some fine swapping of paint and close racing for a change. I am a big Yamaha fan but bloody hell, I think those leading guys would beat old 46 even if they rode my geriatric FZR..........................!! The factory Yams just cannot wring enough top speed on some of these tracks. Made a Ramadan day in Kuwait pass a little easier!

Yes this is really awesome. I rode the early edition around the new Kyalami track, what a hoot, but in the words of a song by Live...”confusion sets in” About this new T700 Yammie with the MT07 engine, another gem of an engine I believe. The little bike has received great reviews and is worth a look. The Missus has said that she is not comfortable off road as a pillion so I do not need a super powerful ADV bike, (am aware the AT is not super powerful, but it is big). This T700 seems to be like an upgraded KLR, similar size, 30 more hp, great suspension............lovely. Choices hey!

Dave Celliers certainly has the credentials. It is a good write up, but I would look for a late model KLR at around 15 to 20 grand less. Cash difference for petrol to ride! Or kit, or soft bags, or upgrade fork springs etc. I say this because I own one and find it to be a very capable bike, sure a bit slow on the hiway, but can do everything asked of it!. Edited to add pic, cause I really like my little thumper!

That XJR is a lovely beast, but a beast it is compared to the MT09 and its derivatives! I do bang on about the MT, I really felt it was that good. ( when I rode it) But to buy one for where I live........mmmmmmm, it really would hardly build kms, just a small bit around George. Dedicated Outeniqua Pass scratcher, yes please! .............not sure how to get that past the Missus.

That is a really nice bike. I have not even taken a look at them, perhaps I should. What a road though! Bouncing that thing off the rev limiter a few times I think. I like the torque, pretty much stay in one gear. I try and ride Outeniqua Pass like that on my 83 CB750! That XSR would be worth a test ride on the Pass.........shame there are non available in George. As much as I would like a cool naked bike, my next bike will be an ADV bike, larger than my KLR, possibly an Africa Twin................unless a right priced low km ‘Busa finds me first!!

Yes, a model, well flown, although a little unrealistic, awesome what models can do though. Check out the SU27 and Mig 29 for pretty cool maneuvers.

Awesome, enjoy it. Back in around 2004 I had a short term contract out of Dar. One of the local companies had an ATR in maintenance and they contracted our mob to fly for them. I was flying freight at the time. Was a bit different flying pax around. We operated to Kili and Arusha amongst others. I remember the SA flight attendant moaning that I had let a kid check out the cockpit while on the ground in Zanzibar as it was post 9/11 and those dangerous peeps were supposed to be locked out. I never took to the flying with Flight Attendents thing! Enjoy the ATR, I really loved flying the old Flying Pig!

This is beautiful work, Awesome!

It is an old Icom VHF radio. I used to carry it when bush flying in west Africa as an emergency back up. Sadly I lost the charger many years ago. Never got around to replacing it and I really dont listen to aircraft radio calls any more ( well, more than I need to for the old job!) In addition on that shelf is an old Douglas DC8 autopilot controller and a Ist Stage fan blade from a Pratt and Whitney JT3 engine off the 8.

Ha ha, yes indeed. Good that she wants to ride too. My Missus entertained that idea but decided against it. Her preference has become paddling as opposed to riding motorcycles. I am easy with that as I enjoy the kayaks too. She felt she was a bit old to be learning to ride an on/off road motorcycle, even a modestly powered midweight. This after getting back into MTB and riding dirt trails again. I understand her as I have been riding since my early teens. There is a lot to learn on a bike and it takes time to build the skills and confidence. Good Luck to your Missus!

Tough lady, making you choose like that. Just keep it ‘round a mates house!

Hope the bike is okay. About ten years ago, on my wedding anniversary I had stopped to buy flowers for the missus. As I just had 1 km to ride to get home, I stuck them in my backpack thinking to ride real slowly........ So, about to back out the parking , both feet down and the flowers fall over to one side, okay, no stress, flick the stand down and lean to the left, but...........stand not over centre, bike keeps going, flowers fall under bike. Slight incline, bike slid a few cms, but enough to damage the fairing. Missus presented with damaged flowers, man she was upset about the bike!

I went to the Model Engineer Exhibition a few times back when I lived in the UK. Talented peeps out there! Even the 1/72nds get some amazing detail. I do try and build neatly, as in trimming edges, careful painting etc, but over all, just for fun. When I moved from Joburg I packed a max of two per shoe box and filled the box with polystyrene bean bag fiiller! All put into larger boxes. All that broke was a drop tank came off the Phantom F4, an easy fix. It was not difficult at all to clear the small polystyrene balls out of the models with a small paint brush. I fancy to do some of the WWII bombers, in addition to that little Heinkel, but display space is tricky for those bigger models.

Do it! I was in Josie recently and picked up the paints for my Gloster Meteor and SE5a.